


I'm In Love With A Fairy Tale

by aporia, singie



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Courtship, Crack but not really, Crushing on the wrong people, M/M, Parody, Sexual Tension, fairy Nile, kid Eren, king Erwin, single dad Levi, witch Hange
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-01-11
Packaged: 2018-01-07 12:58:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1120087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aporia/pseuds/aporia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/singie/pseuds/singie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one Erwin is waiting for is handsome, loving and will come in a preferably white horse.</p><p>Or so his Fairy tells him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Aporia had this idea when Singie asked for a bedtime story.
> 
> The whole thing actually made sense behind the multiple layers of crack, so we decided to make a fic out of this.

**Once upon a time there was a young beautiful prince, born the sole heir to a wealthy and prosperous kingdom.**

**The gift little Erwin Smith was graced with upon birth was a rare one, and of utmost honor. The Order of the Unicorns only served the royal linage and it would be none other than the King of the Fairies himself that would protect him and give him guidance throughout life, fulfilling his destiny and finding true love. With the most competent of the Unicorn Fairies by his side, Erwin would soon find his prince charming. All he had to do, his fairy told him, was wait.**

**And so he obeyed. Erwin firmly believed that one day his prince would come and he would get his happily ever after.**

**_‘Prince charming won’t come,’ ‘Love doesn’t work like that,’ ‘You can’t sit and wait for your prince – he won’t come.’_ **

**It didn’t matter what skeptics said, because Erwin was a prince himself and he had his own skilled fairy. It couldn’t be that hard to find and marry the right one.**

**Or so he thought.**

.

“You will be late for your own birthday, Erwin,” his fairy scolded him. He had been looking for the prince for nearly an hour and found him buried behind a thick Fairy Tale book on the library.

“I am almost done. Read with me, Nile!” He set a feather cushion by his side for the one-foot-tall fairy to lay. Nile retracted his wings and assumed human form instead, sitting beside Erwin and examining the illustrated stories that entertained his prince.

“Don’t you think you are overdoing it?” Nile looked from Erwin’s face to the happy ending pompously described in the carefully painted page. “What do you plan to do when you finally find him?”

Erwin sighed and unglued his eyes from the book, staring blankly ahead. “I am not sure yet. Maybe he and I could leave the kingdom and visit the world. It would be nice. But honestly all I want is for us to be together. In every story with a happy ending, being together is always the key to happiness.”

“Would you leave the kingdom?” Nile asked astonished. “In a few years you will be allowed to do anything you want here!”

“But maybe I won’t want to! I care deeply for my people and I could never leave if I was needed here. But am I really? While the council is not perfect, I have to admit that it handles issues very well, so do people really need a king?” He scraped at the top corner of the page thoughtfully. “If they really do, maybe they should elect a new king after I find my prince.”

“You’re being naive and immature, Erwin. One day you will know why it’s so important to be responsible for something.” Nile smiled at him. “It’s very gratifying.”

“Are you talking out of experience?” Erwin regarded him with big, curious blue eyes. “It is funny, you don’t really seem any older than me.”

“Hey, I am already a king! I too was a prince once, but it works different for fairies.”

“Did it change anything to you? Can you really do anything you want, as you said I would?”

He took a while to think of an answer. “It wasn’t really like that. Different from you humans, we have responsibilities, as in, important ones. Speaking of which, you are mine and you’re late for your birthday.”

He got on his feet and offered a hand to Erwin, who accepted it with a smile.

“You deserve your prince too, Nile. I don’t want your life to be all about work. I promise you I will give my best and find my prince soon, so you can stop worrying about me and build your own happiness.” 

Even the King of the Fairies of the Order of the Unicorn couldn’t help blushing a deep crimson shade at such blatant honesty like that. He waited until Erwin was out of earshot and muttered, “You are my prince charming, silly.”

.

**The King of the Fairies had a secret.**

**He had fallen madly in love with the human he was supposed to protect and guide. It was more than a matter of forbidden love for it could bring problems for both the fairy and the young prince whose happiness he was in charge of.**

**Time went by but Erwin Smith never gave up on searching for his prince, nor Nile Dawk ever gave up on him. Our story begins on the 29th spring of king Erwin, with the King of the Fairies’ ultimate plan to make Erwin his, once and for all.**


	2. When Will My Life Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as there were people living the dream of a fairy tale, others weren't so lucky. The kingdom wasn't as wealthy and plentiful as the aristocracy made it out to be, especially on the outer districts. The fairies too were scarce and few people had the privilege being guided to their happy ending.

"You know what to do, right, Eren?"

A raven haired man held hands with a boy, who couldn't be much older than nine or ten. Smiling confidently, Eren gave the man's hand a light squeeze as they parted ways. They maintained an unsuspecting distance as Levi approached a food stall, eyeing the merchant dangerously and looking purposely suspicious, which came naturally to him.

The middle-aged plump merchant immediately warned his tougher assistant of Levi's presence, and just like that their attention was focused entirely on him.

Eren was still a thief in training, and he was doing well. Soon he wouldn't need Levi's subsidy anymore, but for now it was better to stay on the safe side. Following Levi's cue, Eren started to fill a paper bag with random vegetables and fruits, quick and quiet. Nobody would pay any mind to a child when they had a shady figure looming over their belongings.

The shop owner took a while to realize had had just been mugged, and by then Eren was already a few yards away, pressing the bag tightly to his chest as he ran.

"That little bastard! Go fetch him now, I'll teach him a lesson!" The owner shouted and his assistant made to chase the boy, but he was stopped by Levi stepping on his way.

"The brat's already pretty far. Let me get him for you, old man."

The reddening round face didn't need any time to contemplate his request, overcome by rage. "Bring him to me and you can have as many pears as you like! Go!"

Levi nodded and started the chase, noting with a satisfied smirk that the old man's assistant had actually stayed back. It was so fucking easy. Levi quickly made his way on Eren's trail, disappearing behind the corner the boy had turned, never to be seen again.

It would be another ten minutes until the stall owned realized he had been tricked twice on the same day.

 

"That was pretty good, brat." Far enough from the crime scene, Levi took the paper bag from the boy, ruffling his hair. "Really good, let's just work on trying not to get noticed next time."

"It that enough, sir?" Eren smiled at the compliment, watching as Levi inspected the stolen content. Although he didn't have time to pick the best-looking fruits and vegetables, he had filled the bag to its tip and chosen a good variety. At least they wouldn't have to pay for food for a couple days.

"We'll manage. Let's go, Eren. Your dad is waiting."

He took the boy's hand as they wandered into a dark alley.

 

As soon as they reached their hut, Eren made a straight dash to the bed Farlan was lying on. "We brought food, dad, and your medicine too!" He showed the herbs he had collected earlier on. "You'll feel better soon."

"That's awesome, kid. Did your father tell you how good you're getting at this?" Farlan winked at him, accepting the fruit of Eren's work.

"Yeah, he mentioned it." Eren blushed slightly, hoping Levi wouldn't hear it. "I almost got caught, though."

"It's okay, we can work on that. Why don't you go play outside while I talk to dad Levi?"

Eren nodded and took off as Farlan brought a trembling arm to support his weight and shift to a sitting position. He was weak and the task took more effort than it should have, but Levi was there in a split second, helping him up. "Hey, take it easy."

"You worry too much, Levi. I'm okay, I can even stand, you know." Farlan humoured him, but welcomed the help.

"Don't start getting ideas," Levi rolled his eyes as he sorted out the herbs Eren got them. "I'm about to grind these and I hope you won't fall to the floor pathetically because I'm too busy to grab you."

Farlan watched his spouse handle the ingredients, separating the right amount of each and rinsing them off.

"You really don't have to do that, Levi. You're only putting off something that will happen anyway. I'd rather you just stay with me, please?" He asked from the bed.

Levi froze, taken aback by that. When he finally spoke, his voice wasn't as kind as before. "Farlan. Just do what I tell you."

"You know I'm dying. We can't change that, and you don't have to try to. I'd rather you spent more time with me these days, instead of trying to find cure that doesn't exist. Please." He said hurriedly, reaching for Levi.

"No, you're not leaving me. You have a son to raise. You can't just leave us, you bastard."

Levi still didn't make eye contact with him.

"Levi, about that... That's something I wanted to tell you." Farlan said quietly. "Eren and you... you deserve to be happy. Remember when we used to run around like the world belonged to us? When we would steal and drink and travel for days... We were the kings of the thieves." He snorted. "You deserve that happiness again. I want you to promise me that when I'm gone, you won't stay alone forever. You won't neglect your life for my sake. Please, Levi? Promise you'll find someone who loves you as much as I do."

"Quit being delirious, you're reeking bullshit. I'm going to make you feel better." Levi finished grinding Farlan's medicine and diluted it in a small jar, going back to sit at his side once the recipe was ready. He knew the drinking wouldn't go smoothly and it tasted bitter, so he helped him though it, hoping he wouldn't choke.

"I want..." Farlan restarted once he had finished drinking. "I want you to promise me that you'll do it, if I go..."

"Farlan."

"I'm delirious, aren't I? So make me happy this once, Levi. If you really believe I'll get better, then why are you denying a feverish man's wishes?"

Levi pondered for a moment, unsure of what to do. Being made to promise something like that hurt, but eventually he didn't have it in him to deny Farlan that peace of mind. He kissed Farlan's forehead. "I promise. But only if you promise me the same thing."

Farlan smiled weakly and held Levi's hand between his. "I promise."

 

It didn't take long for Levi and Eren to leave their village, alone and bitter, but it was in due time. They had enough of stink and poverty, and if they had left sooner, maybe they could have prevented... No, it was done and there was no changing it.

They were skilled thieves about to make a living in the so called prosperity of the inner kingdom, which they had never really seen but the aristocracy loved to brag about. Levi was determined to give a better life to his son.

 

Nearing the castle, Nile recoiled his translucent crimson wings as he took human size. He found his king overviewing the preparations for the next winter, which they said would be a harsh one. As the years went by, Erwin became increasingly more compromised with the well being of his people. He had finally understood that being a king wasn't just a position of power and luxury as it was also, and more importantly, a job.

As he grew up he realized that the lives of millions were in his hands, and ruling a kingdom wasn't an easy task, as his infantile self had once believed. Not every council member had the people's best interest in mind, and for his privileged position, Erwin knew he had responsibility to take a stance.

He had since then accepted that running away with the prince of his dreams wasn't a good idea, when put in practical terms. Even if he could, Erwin wasn't the kind of man to forsake a whole kingdom to pursue a selfish dream, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself otherwise. But that didn't mean he had given up on finding his prince. Quite the opposite. He took his own happiness as seriously as being a king.

"Erwin, I need to speak with you urgently," Nile interrupted him, coming between himself and the ordinances he worked on.

"Excuse me, Nile, this is really important. It appears some of the carriage for the spring festival is missing and every possible route has already been checked..."

"It's about your prince."

Erwin stopped was he was doing immediately to stare at his fairy.

"Do you have any news about him, Nile? I am honestly hoping I will find him this time. Many noble houses in the vicinity were invited to the spring festival, and I know that at least one prince has confirmed his presence." He said eagerly.

"That's not it Erwin, actually.... I don't know how to put this into words."

"Is there a problem?" Erwin was suddenly concerned. "Is he in some kind of trouble? Look, if you think we're in a situation where I have the opportunity of rescuing him from some kind of distress then we have no time to lose."

"No! No, Erwin, listen." Nile breathed in deeply, mentally encouraging himself of getting on with his plan already. "Maybe it is time you started considering other options, Erwin. More palpable options."

Erwin looked at him confused and Nile pressed on. "Look, you are already twenty nine. Don't get me wrong, twenty nine is still pretty young, but you know how hard these times are, especially where marriage is concerned."

"What are you saying? Do you.... think I'm too old to find someone?" Erwin sounded heart-broken.

"That is not what I meant, plus I'm older than you."

"You're a fairy."

"Not the point. What I wanted to suggest was that just maybe you're looking too far into things. Literally, too far. Maybe the one for you has always been arou–"

"KING ERWIN WHERE ARE YOU" Nile was almost knocked over by a fairy in a grazing dive.

Nile cast his subordinate a nasty look, more for having his moment ruined than for being nearly thrown on the floor. And to think he had been two seconds away from suggesting what a wonderful idea it would be to be betrothed to the King of the Fairies of the Order of the Unicorn. Damn incompetent newbies.

"What is so important you had to literally run over me, Marlo? Please tell me they are good news."

"Yes, sir! I have just received a note from the gates. There's a huge caravan on its way, it is probably some nobleman and they are heading here!"

The smile that lighted up Erwin's face was proportional to Nile's grimace.

 

Erwin wouldn't have believed the majesty of the parade making way to his castle if he hadn't witnessed it first-hand. It was both delicate and imposing.

There were dozens of very attractive dancers chasseing gracefully at the eerie flute melody that echoed though the crowd. They were remarkably tall on average and it was hard to tell their gender – they were either very slender males or somewhat androgynous females; probably both. Whoever this prince was (they were definitely noble, Erwin had his fingers crossed in hope it would be his prince) he should be from a very far-off place, judging from their gowns, music and anatomy. Erwin had never seen anything like it.

They were oddly elegant and harmonic in their own way and Erwin stared in awe; he couldn't think of a more romantic way to finally meet him for the first time. 

When the parade had reached the royal gardens, Erwin ducked in closer to his horse, rushing to its center. Nile landed on his shoulder in fairy form and scowled around, outraged. He would not have his plan shattered _now_ , and if that really was a prince behind that ridiculous flamboyant entrance, he hoped he would be ugly as hell.

The noble finally emerged from a golden sedan chair carried by six servants. "Let me help you, Prince Hange," said a sandy blond man, offering his hand for help.

Erwin's gut twisted in anticipation at the word _prince_. He dismounted and greeted the guests eagerly, appreciating the sophisticated way his suitor dressed. His blue brocade-patterned silk gown was partially hidden behind a rich velvet hooded cloak. His hair was pulled back in a charming bun and golden strings decorated his head along with two thin braids dangling from his face. There was a delicate quality in him, almost feminine, that Erwin found very pleasing.

And was that a fairy on his shoulder?

"Prince Hange, are you sure this kingdom is up to your standards?" The small fairy squinted around. She had platinum bond short hair and a stern look, but Erwin did not mind her. It was the prince he was interested in.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Sina. I am King Erwin Smith, at your service." Erwin bowed slightly, wasting no time courting his beautiful future spouse.

"Oh, so you are the famous King Erwin! I've heard so much about you. I have great news for you, my little King: your distress has come to an end! Your prince is finally here, do not fret! Ah, and don't mind the fairy." Hange greeted him with a vigorous energy that didn't match at all such aesthetic finesse. There was something off about him. The way he spoke, the way he moved. Slowly something clicked on Erwin's brain.

"So it's you. Rico." Nile sat on Erwin's shoulder, mirroring Hange's fairy and scowling at her. "How dare you speak poorly of Erwin's lands?"

"Long time no see, Nile." The fairy answered. "I would like to remind you that we are both of the same rank, and I will give nothing but my honest opinion to Prince Hange. I expected more from the kingdom you are working under."

"Is that so? Then tell me Rico, when have you started working for the Elves of the Jungle?" Nile sneered.

Hange laughed light heartedly at Nile's reaction, completely overlooking the malice in it. "We're from the Kingdom of the Forest of the Roses, you silly Unicorn! And we're not all elves, we're actually a very diverse kingdom, vanguard even, isn't it amazing? I'm half-human half-elf myself." Hange beamed proudly.

"I am sorry, sir..." Erwin started. There was something he needed to know, but he couldn't figure out a way of not making it offensive. Although he didn't know much about elves, Erwin was almost sure Prince Hange was female. Not that it particularly mattered, but Nile's tales had always been very specific about a prince.

"Is there a problem?" Whether intentional or not, Rico the fairy intimidated him, and Nile immediately came to the rescue. 

"Isn't it obvious what he wants to know? How can a girl even be a prince?" Sometimes Erwin wished Nile was more tactful and less of a bigot.

"Oh that!" Hange chuckled maniacally. "In our native language, my royal title translates into both words – prince or princess. We don't have gendered terms and I find it actually very curious that you do. We have a lot of cultural exchange to do and I can't wait to get started!" Hange winked at him viciously and Erwin felt a chill run through him spine. "I heard you have different styles of clothing according to gender, and it's all so foreign to me! Just so you know I don't mind being addressed as either male or female. Both sound essentially the same to me."

Erwin made a stupid face trying to take in the information and filter the cultural shock and Hange cheered at his expression, which Erwin found slightly unsettling.

"There are so many rumours about you, my dear Erwin. They say you've been looking for a prince desperately in every corner of the nine realms, so to speak. So I decided to come to your rescue and wed you. That is why I chose to translate it as prince over princess. That is your personal choice, not mine! On more relevant matter, I am so happy to finally find out what you look like! I can't wait until I bed you the proper way, I am sure you will love the rituals I will perform on you, as the Elven-prince. I don't mind having sex in the regular human way, but as an elf there are some rules you will have to abide. I hope you don't mind voyeurism."

Erwin wasn't sure he wanted to know what rules Hange was talking about and although he had never considered it, he probably did mind voyeurism. His eyes bulged and he felt his heart pulse furiously against his ribcage. Probably in fear. Or in embarrassment of having been told such things in public.

Never having been on the end of such audacious attention, he could only stutter something unintelligible in response.

"At any rate, I forgot to properly introduce myself! I am Prince Hange Zoe, Witch of the Kingdom of the Forest. It is a pleasure to meet you! And I am happy to inform you that your search is finally over! Right, Rico?"

"Sure, if you say so." The fairy roller her eyes. "Nice to meet you, Your Highness. I am Rico Brzenska, Queen of the Fairies of the Order of the Roses."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Hange." Erwin finally said, taking Hange's hand between his and kissing it.

That wasn't the way he had been expecting to be courted at all, but he wasn't about to be rude.

 

Not far from there, a boy watched the show, sensing an opportunity. It was the first time he saw the palace gates fully open. Just like the crowd, the guards were too entertained by the beauty of the the Elven Royal parade, talking to each other distractedly. That was a fantastic day for Eren to show his dad how he had improved his technique.

Those carriages should have a lot of gold.

It wasn't hard for a curious kid to mingle in the crowd unnoticed. The criminal rates in the areas around the palace were close to zero and the guards didn't really seem prepared to handle much. Eren snickered thinking that stealing from the rich would probably be a lot easier than from the merchants of the outskirts. 

It wouldn't require much effort. Eren could still be young but he had been trained by dad Farlan and later by dad Levi, when the former went ill. In their days of glory they used to sit on a mountain of gold, it was a pity Eren had been too young to remember the details. But he knew that Sina was the way for them to rebuild their wealth and that parade was an excellent way to start.

He finally chose one of the carriages to be his first victim. When no one was looking, he picked at the locket quickly and skilfully. In a matter of seconds, Eren was already inside, staring speechless at what he found.

Eren had heard about the beauty of the jewels made by elves before, but he hadn't been prepared for that. They were the most beautiful crafts made out of gold and silver that Eren had ever seen, decorated by colourful finely cut gemstones. He ran his hand through the exquisite crests and necklaces, thinking that there was no way he could leave any of that loot behind. He was only one small boy, how could he carry all that by himself? And that was only the first carriage. There should be a lot more on the others.

Eren bit his lip in frustration with himself, wishing he could somehow be a giant man with enormous hands.

Okay, that was crazy. He had to deal with the problem in a rational way. Sighing heavily, he sat down and started sorting though the jewellery, trying to decide which ones were the most valuable. If he could only take a limited amount, he would pick quality. He had been taught how to recognize gold, diamonds and platinum, but there was some other stuff he was sure should be really valuable here. Like an amber ornament containing a cute blonde girl fast asleep. He took it in his hands, admiring the skills the elves possessed. Was that valuable or just beautiful?

Eren pocketed it anyway, unsure, and went for the next piece. He couldn't wait to show all of that to his father and make him proud.

Which were more expensive anyway: rubies or sapphires?

 

"Please don't tell me you're really considering marrying her, Erwin."

"Why, because she's female?"

"Well, maybe! Or because she's a witch? Because she's an elf?"

"She is only part-elf, Nile."

"It doesn't matter, she's not the same species as you!"

Nile pulled at his own hair, exasperated. He wasn't about to lose the love of his life to that witch.

"Those aren't very good reasons, Nile. Marrying a half-elf might even improve my public image, now that I think about it. Prince Hange's kingdom seems to have a very diverse society, with elves and humans living together in harmony. I would love to show my people that I am an equally accepting king."

Nile was running out of cards. It was the first time he had to deal with a prince being so blunt about marrying Erwin.

"Look at the foul language she uses in front of everyone. Now multiply it by twelve by the time you are married and she's lying on top of you. She looks like the type who would tie you to the bed and pull off a weird apparatus to find out what parts of your body you feel the most pain."

Erwin cringed slightly at that, knowing that although it was too early to tell, Prince Hange did seem to fit Nile's description.

"I have to admit that she does look fairly intimidating."

"Exactly! You have to be able to trust your partner, not be afraid of her! Please, Erwin, don't rush into this marriage. I am your fairy and I know what is best for you. There is a non-creepy prince waiting for you somewhere."

Erwin paused, taking that into account.

"You are right, Nile. We still have a while until Prince Hange leaves. I will take advantage of that time and try to get to know her."

It was better than nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Erwin meets Levi, stuff happens and children cry.
> 
> If anyone is interested in beta'ing the next chapter, please leave me a comment here or on tumblr; adeptoinvictus (singie) or blizzardprincess (aporia). It would really help us cause we're esl and generally suck!


End file.
